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Brighton man jailed for 13 years for leaving victim paralysed after attack
Posted On 20 Nov 2009 at 9:41 pm
A Brighton man has been jailed for 13 years today for an unprovoked attack on Hove seafront.
Jamie Chesher, 32, of Regency Square, Brighton, is expected to serve at least six and a half years for the assault which left Simon Craddock paralysed.
Chesher was sentenced at Hove Crown Court for pushing Mr Craddock off a groyne on to the beach near the Peace Statue on Saturday 21 March.
Mr Craddock will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair after falling 10ft from the groyne.
Chesher claimed that he had acted in self-defence but a jury was unanimous in finding him guilty.
Mr Craddock had been to a party in London Road, Brighton. Although he had been drinking and had taken some ecstasy, he said that he was sober when he left the party at 7am.
He met Chesher and Donna McCreedy on his way home to Second Avenue in Hove.
They talked and went for a cigarette on the groyne. Mr Craddock said that Donna McCreedy had hit him for no reason before Chesher attacked him.
They grappled until Chesher pushed Mr Craddock off the groyne. Mr Craddock was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Since the attack, Mr Craddock has been unable to move from the chest down.
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I’m glad that my brother is getting some justice for what this man did to him. I hope that he realises that this has not only changed my brothers life completley, but affected all those close around him. I wish i could turn back the clock and prevented what happened, but that is impossible. Instead, Simon has a wonderful family and good friends who will also support him in his new life. One thing i appreciate the most, is that we still have him with us today. Just want to say, Simon, you are extremely brave and your strength throughout this whole ordeal has shown that you may have lost the physical ability from part of your body, but you are still the same person inside, and you really are an excellent brother. Thank you for being such a good role modelx
He’s living free in Canada